Verra Secures IC-VCM Approval for Carbon Capture and Storage Methodology

## OzelCarbonOS VCM Intelligence Brief — 29 September 2026 The most consequential development for the voluntary carbon market this cycle is **Verra's announcement that the IC-VCM has approved its Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) methodology** ([Verra](https://verra.org/verra-secures-icvcm-approval-for-carbon-capture-and-storage-methodology/)). This is a significant milestone for engineered-removal credits under the VCS programme: IC-VCM endorsement effectively opens the door for CCS-derived credits to carry Core Carbon Principle (CCP) labels, potentially commanding a premium over conventional avoidance credits. Buyers seeking high-integrity removal tonnes — particularly those aligning procurement with SBTi guidance — now have a clearer pathway through Verra's registry. The approval also reinforces the broader market trend of IC-VCM acting as the de facto quality gate, widening the spread between CCP-labelled and unlabelled credits. On the **policy and standards front**, two stories dominate. First, **Argentina's flagship carbon market bill has stalled in the senate** over disagreements on jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) provisions ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555191/)). The impasse highlights the persistent tension between national sovereignty over forest carbon and sub-national (provincial) claims — a dynamic that echoes similar debates in Brazil and Indonesia and has direct implications for REDD+ supply pipelines in Latin America. Second, **over 100 organisations have sent an open letter to the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body** urging rights-based amendments to the Sustainable Development tool under review ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555201/)). The letter specifically calls for recognition of both legal and customary land rights, and removal of a clause signatories argue undermines community consent and, by extension, market confidence. If the SBM incorporates these changes, it could raise the bar for Article 6.4 credit issuance — tightening future supply but improving perceived integrity. A **UN report published this week argues that stacking carbon and biodiversity credits could substantially bolster forest restoration finance**, though it cautions that immature nature-credit markets and weak verification systems remain barriers ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555177/)). This dovetails with OECD data showing that biodiversity-related development finance has more than tripled over the past decade, yet the outlook is clouded by anticipated falls in official development assistance ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555250/)). For VCM participants, the stacking thesis is increasingly relevant: ARR and REDD+ project developers exploring biodiversity co-benefits could unlock additional revenue streams, but only if registries and standards bodies formalise robust claim-stacking protocols. In **compliance-adjacent markets**, New Zealand's government has publicly acknowledged that its ETS alone will not deliver post-2030 reduction targets, signalling forthcoming complementary policy measures ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555278/)). Meanwhile, RGGI allowances rebounded after briefly dipping below $38, with secondary-market volumes roughly doubling — suggesting renewed speculative or compliance-driven activity ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555155/)). On the **corporate investment side**, a major Japanese shipping company is acquiring a 30 % stake in a Norwegian offshore CCS venture ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555311/)), and a blast-furnace CCS trial capable of capturing 10,000 tCO₂/yr has been commissioned in China ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555197/)). These deals underscore the accelerating corporate appetite for CCS-linked decarbonisation — a trend that, combined with the new IC-VCM-approved Verra CCS methodology, could reshape the removals credit landscape over the coming quarters. Finally, Verra has opened a fresh batch of projects for public comment as of 28 September ([Verra](https://verra.org/projects-open-for-public-comment-september-28-2026/)), and a new report finds that bank and fund allocation to low-carbon energy rose year-on-year in 2025, though levels still lag net-zero-aligned benchmarks ([Carbon Pulse](https://carbon-pulse.com/555228/)). Market participants should monitor the Argentina J-REDD+ legislative outcome and Article 6.4 SD-tool revisions closely — both carry material implications for REDD+ credit supply and pricing in H1 2027.